1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to electrical wiring boxes, and particularly to electrical wiring box assemblies.
2. Technical Background
In many cases it is desirable to provide electrical outlets on the exterior wall of both residential and commercial structures. Homeowners, maintenance and repair personnel and contractors require such electrical outlets to provide electrical power to electrically operated appliances, tools and other such devices. Obviously, electrical outlets must be protected in some manner because of the substantial possibility of creating an electrical hazard when the energized outlet comes in contact with water or moisture. An exterior outlet may come in contact with water by any number of ways, such as rainfall, melting snow, or by way of human activity in close proximity to the outlet. Activities such as watering plants and shrubbery, or children playing with the water hose are easily imagined. Moreover, exterior electrical outlets may also be subjected to various contaminants which may also affect the safe operation of the electrical device.
Another consideration that must be accounted relates to the standard installation of electrical wiring devices. Typically, the electrical wiring device is mounted at the top and bottom to bosses formed in a wiring box. Once the fasteners are inserted therein, the face of the electrical wiring device is substantially flush with the wall. Of course, when a user inserts the appliance or tool plug into the receptacle, both the plug and the cord extending therefrom extend outwardly from the wall surface. As such, a small gap is created between the electrical wiring device and the plug itself. This gap may all the admittance of moisture. Moreover, the plug may be partially dislodged as a result of contact by persons or objects. Of course, a partial dislodgement may expose a portion of the energized prongs of the electrical plug causing an electrical safety hazard.
What is needed, therefore, is an electrical wiring box assembly that over comes the drawbacks described above. In particular, an electrical box assembly is needed that prevents moisture and contaminants from coming in contact with the electrical device. An electrical box assembly is needed that provides a recessed plug/device interface that prevents the inadvertent dislodging of the plug.